The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Source: Mandela, Nelson. Long Walk to Freedom. macdonaldo purnell, 1995. Print. Additional Information: This is a quote from the Nelson Mandela autobiography Long Walk to Freedom (1995). The book chronicals Mandela's early life, coming of age and 27 years spent in prison. This inspirational quote means that success in life doesn't mean that you never fail; a successful life is one in which you recover and carry on after each failure or setback.